Showing posts with label Bill O'Reilly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bill O'Reilly. Show all posts
Friday, November 3, 2017
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Saturday, January 15, 2011
False Equivalence
There's been a major dust-up over blame for the Arizona tragedy. Many on the left are pointing fingers at the vitriolic rhetoric of the right as agitating such misguided violence. Those on the right are using their well-worn, "Guns don't kill people. People kill people" schtick. There will be no mea culpa from those on the right. In the fantasy world of conservatives, words only have ill-fated consequences when spoken by Democrats.
It appears Jared Loughner wasn't unequivocally a Republican. He was, though, obviously a disturbed individual whom should have been commited, from his many reported awkward instances, long ago. Yet, the fact that he chose to target a Democrat should give us some indication on which side of the spectrum he tended to lean.
Nevertheless, the fact remains, Republican rhetoric has instigated and inflamed violent and uncivil actions across America. Even moreso since Barack Obama has taken office. Soon after Obama was inaugurated reports were released detailing the rise in right-wing extremism. Conservatives ignored and/or scoffed at the reports. The Becks and Limbaughs of the world continued their end-of-times warnings and hate-filled broadcasting.
Oddly, some on the right want to claim, "Democrats did the same thing [violent rhetoric] back in 2004." Really? Democrats were telling people to use "second amendment remedies" to take their country back? Democrats were blanketing the internet with gun crosshairs on Republicans they wanted out of office? Democrats were labeling those on the right as fascists bent on destroying our country and way of life? Not even close!
And, another big difference between those of us on the left and those on the right is the fact that when and/or if someone on the left were to use such incendiary language or images, the overwhelming majority of Democrats would condemn such actions. On the right, instead, we see nearly the entire party rally and defend such divisive spewings.
Even in the aftermath, conservatives continue to criticize. These ideologues just don't get it. So much for teachable moments.
For Further Reading:
Friday, July 31, 2009
The (Ex)Governor's Goonsquad
Bill O'Reilly uses a comment from Bill Maher to smear lefties and to claim Sarah Palin did a good job for Alaska.
O'Reilly claimed Sarah Palin had a "solid performance" and ran Alaska fine. As far as Alaska is concerned, O'Reilly feels because Sarah left with a 54 percent approval rating [a year ago it was 86 percent approved, it is actually down to 47 percent now] she indisputably did a great job. This selectively ignores the facts - she has numerous legal clouds hanging over Alaska, the state is a huge welfare recipient, and Palin quit 15 months before the end of her first term. Is this what she was elected to do? Quit before her term was over?
Based on the precipitous decline in her approval rating, it appears the majority of Alaskans do not feel she has done a good job for Alaska.
And, O'Reilly asserts her intellectual credentials are just as impressive as all those elitist Ivy League liberals because she went to the University of Idaho (one of four colleges she attended). No one is claiming she is stupid because she went to Idaho. People claim she is stupid because they have heard her speak. As Mark Twain said, "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."
There really is nothing to this. It's just another one of those oft-used, right-wing ramblings linking unrelated subjects, then springboarding that into one of their familiar rant themes: Liberals (the supposed slur for Democrats) are mean, smarty-pants, out of touch, tax-and-spenders.
This is just inciting anger into listeners that do not know any better. He is playing up the caricatures the right-wing has created. [You know] those elitist, latte-drinking, Volvo-driving liberals. There really is no point to this type of reporting other than riling up the base.
I can't believe some of the things these talking-heads say, do they seriously believe the vitriol they speak? The more I listen to O'Reilly and his cronies, I'm starting to think they don't believe it either. They are just salesmen. (Snakeoil salesmen, but salesmen nonetheless.) They're just doing their job: inciting fear and anger to attract viewers moved by the lowest-common-denomiator emotional pleas and invective, and trying to sell books. Spewing anger and hatred is quicker and cheaper than doing actual research, trying to add something constructive to the discussion, or trying reach a compromise and find solutions to issues facing us.
O'Reilly claimed Sarah Palin had a "solid performance" and ran Alaska fine. As far as Alaska is concerned, O'Reilly feels because Sarah left with a 54 percent approval rating [a year ago it was 86 percent approved, it is actually down to 47 percent now] she indisputably did a great job. This selectively ignores the facts - she has numerous legal clouds hanging over Alaska, the state is a huge welfare recipient, and Palin quit 15 months before the end of her first term. Is this what she was elected to do? Quit before her term was over?
Based on the precipitous decline in her approval rating, it appears the majority of Alaskans do not feel she has done a good job for Alaska.
And, O'Reilly asserts her intellectual credentials are just as impressive as all those elitist Ivy League liberals because she went to the University of Idaho (one of four colleges she attended). No one is claiming she is stupid because she went to Idaho. People claim she is stupid because they have heard her speak. As Mark Twain said, "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."
There really is nothing to this. It's just another one of those oft-used, right-wing ramblings linking unrelated subjects, then springboarding that into one of their familiar rant themes: Liberals (the supposed slur for Democrats) are mean, smarty-pants, out of touch, tax-and-spenders.
This is just inciting anger into listeners that do not know any better. He is playing up the caricatures the right-wing has created. [You know] those elitist, latte-drinking, Volvo-driving liberals. There really is no point to this type of reporting other than riling up the base.
I can't believe some of the things these talking-heads say, do they seriously believe the vitriol they speak? The more I listen to O'Reilly and his cronies, I'm starting to think they don't believe it either. They are just salesmen. (Snakeoil salesmen, but salesmen nonetheless.) They're just doing their job: inciting fear and anger to attract viewers moved by the lowest-common-denomiator emotional pleas and invective, and trying to sell books. Spewing anger and hatred is quicker and cheaper than doing actual research, trying to add something constructive to the discussion, or trying reach a compromise and find solutions to issues facing us.
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